App Marketing Statistics for 2026: Market Size, User Acquisition, Retention, ASO, Push Notifications, and Monetization

In 2026, the mobile app economy is one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the global digital market. Users worldwide spent 4.2 trillion hours inside mobile apps in 2024 alone. Total global downloads surpassed 218 billion. App marketing budgets reached USD 109 billion globally. And yet, the challenge of converting downloads into lasting engagement has never been steeper: approximately 77% of users abandon an app within three days of installation, day-30 retention averages only 5% to 8% across most categories, and user acquisition costs continue to rise across both iOS and Android platforms.

These realities have reshaped how app marketers allocate budgets and measure success. Remarketing spend grew 37% year over year in 2025, reflecting a broad strategic shift toward reengaging existing users rather than acquiring new ones at rising costs. App Store Optimization has evolved into a multi-disciplinary function, with 68% of mobile users discovering apps through search and 90% of featured apps maintaining ratings above 4.0. Push notifications, when properly deployed, correlate with retention rates up to 8 times higher than for users who receive none.

Monetization structures are also diversifying rapidly. In-app advertising now represents nearly two-thirds of total app revenue at over USD 344 billion annually. Subscription apps on iOS generate five times higher average revenue per user than Android equivalents. Generative AI apps saw in-app purchase revenue surge from USD 30 million to USD 1.3 billion in just two years.

This article compiles more than 60 app marketing statistics drawn from primary research, platform data disclosures, institutional studies, and industry benchmarking reports published within the last two years. Data spans global market size and growth, downloads and platform distribution, user acquisition costs and spend, retention benchmarks by category, app store optimization performance, push notification benchmarks, monetization and in-app advertising, and regional patterns.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available app marketing statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key App Marketing Statistics for 2026

Global annual revenue from mobile apps reached USD 522.67 billion in 2024, representing nearly 12% growth year over year, based on Statista data analyzed in a 2025 market overview by Mobiloud.
Users worldwide spent 4.2 trillion hours on mobile devices in 2024, a 5.8% year-over-year increase equivalent to more than 500 hours of mobile use per person globally, based on the SensorTower State of Mobile Report 2025, cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
Total global app downloads reached approximately 218 billion in 2024, up 7% year over year across iOS, Google Play, and third-party Android stores, based on Sensor Tower 2025 data cited in a 2026 mobile app market analysis by Udonis.
Global app marketing spend reached USD 109 billion in 2025, with user acquisition accounting for USD 78 billion and remarketing accounting for USD 31 billion, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
In-app advertising contributes nearly two-thirds of all app revenue at more than USD 344 billion, making it the dominant monetization channel across the global app economy, based on Statista data analyzed in a 2025 market overview by Mobiloud.
The global mobile application market size was valued at USD 235.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 267.88 billion in 2025 to USD 753.49 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 13.8%, based on a July 2025 industry report by SkyQuest Technology.
Mobile gaming apps generated USD 196.1 billion in revenue in 2024, accounting for nearly 38% of total global app revenue, based on Newzoo 2025 data cited in a 2026 mobile app market analysis by Udonis.
Social networking apps including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok generated USD 153.4 billion in 2024, representing nearly 30% of all global app revenue, based on Statista data analyzed in a 2025 market overview by Mobiloud.
Global remarketing spend reached USD 31.3 billion in 2025, increasing 37% year over year, with remarketing’s share of overall app marketing spend rising from 25% in 2024 to 29% in 2025, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
Shopping apps generate an average of nearly USD 24 in revenue per download, the highest of any app category, based on Statista data analyzed in a 2025 market overview by Mobiloud.
In-app purchase revenue from AI apps surged from USD 30 million in 2022 to USD 455 million in 2023 and nearly USD 1.3 billion in 2024, based on SensorTower data cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
70% of App Store visitors use search to find new apps, and 65% of downloads occur immediately after a search, based on Eltima Software 2025 data cited in a 2025 ASO guide by Udonis.

Adoption and Usage Statistics

The average user interacted with 26 different apps per month in 2024, a 9.2% increase compared to 2023, and accessed around 7 unique apps on a daily basis, based on the SensorTower State of Mobile Report 2025, cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
The average user spent 3.5 hours per day on their mobile device in 2024, reflecting a 2.9% year-over-year increase, based on the SensorTower State of Mobile Report 2025, cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
Social media apps collectively attracted nearly 2.4 trillion hours of consumer time in 2024, translating to 6.6 billion hours of daily social app usage worldwide, based on the SensorTower State of Mobile Report 2025, cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
As of recently published data, over 1.9 million apps are available on the Apple App Store, while Google Play offers more than 1.6 million apps, based on Statista 2025 data cited in a 2025 ASO guide by Udonis.
The Apple App Store generated USD 89 billion in consumer spending in 2024, compared to USD 59 billion on Google Play, with iOS generating nearly 60% of global app revenue driven by higher average spending per user, based on a December 2025 mobile app statistics report by AppMySite.
Subscription-based apps now account for over 40% of total App Store revenue, based on a December 2025 mobile app statistics report by AppMySite.
Around 97% of apps on Google Play and 94% of apps on iOS are available for free to download, based on a December 2025 mobile app statistics report by AppMySite.
India remained the top market for mobile app downloads across all measured years, with over 25 billion downloads in 2024, followed by the United States in second place and Brazil in third, based on SensorTower 2024 download data cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.

User Acquisition and Conversion Statistics

Global user acquisition spend reached USD 78 billion in 2025, up 13% year over year, driven entirely by iOS, which surged 35% while Android remained flat at negative 1%, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
Non-gaming UA spend rose 18% year over year to USD 53 billion in 2025, led by Shopping apps, which grew 70% overall and 123% on iOS, largely driven by budgets from China-based eCommerce apps, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
The cost of acquiring one new app install in North America was USD 5.28, while driving in-app purchases cost approximately USD 75 per user in the region, based on AppsFlyer data cited by Statista.
Generative AI apps reached USD 824 million in marketing spend in 2025, growing roughly 50% year over year and becoming the fastest-growing category on Android and the fourth-fastest on iOS, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
Retail apps face acquisition costs of between USD 3 and USD 4.50 per install on average, based on a September 2025 mobile app marketing statistics report by Amra and Elma.
73% of revenue in Casual and Hypercasual games comes from paid user acquisition channels, while Mid-Core games rely more on organic traffic supported by strong brand recognition, based on the AppsFlyer 2024 State of App Monetization Report, published at AppsFlyer.
Subscription apps on iOS generated 5 times higher average revenue per user at USD 8.39 by Day 90, compared to USD 1.54 on Android, driven by higher spending power and stronger organic growth from established brands, based on the AppsFlyer 2024 State of App Monetization Report, published at AppsFlyer.
Organic users accounted for 65% of revenue in subscription apps, reflecting the importance of brand recognition in driving sustainable monetization growth, based on the AppsFlyer 2024 State of App Monetization Report, published at AppsFlyer.

Customer Value and Retention Statistics

The average day-one retention rate across all app categories is approximately 25%, based on Statista analysis of more than 1,000 apps on iOS and Android cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
AppsFlyer analysis of 6 billion installs found an average day-one retention rate of 24.33% across all app verticals, based on AppsFlyer data cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
Android saw a 16% drop in day-30 user retention within the most recent full year analyzed, while iOS retention rates have been trending upward over the same period, based on AppsFlyer data cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
Traditional and digital banking apps have a combined day-one retention rate of 30.3%, a day-7 retention rate of 17.6%, and a combined day-30 benchmark of approximately 9.5%, based on Statista research cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
General shopping apps see an average day-one retention rate of 24.5%, a day-7 retention rate of 10.7%, and a day-30 retention rate of 5.6%, based on Statista research cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
Marketplace apps such as Amazon, eBay, and Poshmark see a day-one retention rate of 33.7%, a day-7 rate of 16.1%, and a day-30 benchmark of 8.7%, based on Statista research cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
Hardcore mobile games see a day-one retention rate of 28.7%, while Hyper-Casual games record the highest day-one rate at 32.2%, based on Statista research cited in a 2025 retention benchmark analysis by Sendbird.
Retaining an existing user costs five times less than acquiring a new one, based on Adjust research cited in a 2026 app retention benchmark analysis by Enable3.
80% of future revenue for mobile businesses will come from just 20% of existing customers, based on a Gartner 2025 finding cited in the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report, published at AppsFlyer.

App Store Optimization Statistics

90% of featured apps on the Apple App Store and 85% of featured apps on Google Play carry a rating of 4.0 or higher, based on the AppTweak ASO Trends and Benchmarks Report 2025, which analyzed the top 1,000 apps and games in the U.S. market from January to December 2024, published at AppTweak.
57% of top games on Google Play A/B tested their screenshots at least twice in 2024, compared to 34% of non-gaming apps, based on the AppTweak ASO Trends and Benchmarks Report 2025, published at AppTweak.
Apps using Custom Product Pages saw an average conversion rate boost of 5.9%, with generic campaigns achieving a higher boost of 8.6%, based on the AppTweak ASO Trends and Benchmarks Report 2025, published at AppTweak.
47% of Google Play games updated their screenshots two or more times in 2024, with casino games updating metadata up to 13 times per year, based on the AppTweak ASO Trends and Benchmarks Report 2025, published at AppTweak.
The average page-view-to-install conversion rate for the U.S. App Store was 33.7%, while for Google Play it was 26.4%, based on AppTweak data cited in an App Store Optimization Software Market report by Virtue Market Research.
The global App Store Optimization (ASO) Tools Market was valued at USD 680.52 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 3.60 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 19.2%, based on a 2025 market analysis by Market Growth Reports.
Nearly 68% of mobile users discover new apps via app store search, making search the dominant discovery channel, based on data cited in a 2025 ASO Tools Market analysis by Market Growth Reports.
Over 73% of mobile app marketers reported ASO tools as critical to their organic growth strategies in recently published data, based on a 2025 ASO Tools Market analysis by Market Growth Reports.

Push Notification Benchmarks

Airship analyzed 50 billion push notifications and found the average reaction rate for all push notifications was 7.8%, with iOS averaging 4.9% and Android averaging 10.70%, based on research cited in a push notification statistics overview by Mobiloud.
App users who received any push notifications in their first 90 days had a 3 times higher app retention rate compared to those who received zero notifications, based on Airship research of 63 million app users across 1,500 apps, cited in a push notification statistics overview by Mobiloud.
Users who received weekly push notifications had 440% higher retention rates than those who received zero notifications, and users who received daily notifications had 820% higher retention rates, based on Airship research cited in a push notification statistics overview by Mobiloud.
Rich push notifications including images, GIFs, and videos average a 56% higher open rate than standard text-only notifications, based on Airship data cited in a push notification statistics overview by Mobiloud.
Personalized push notifications including user names or behavioral data have 4 times higher reaction rates than generic notifications, based on Airship research cited in a push notification statistics overview by Mobiloud.
In e-commerce and retail, Android users engage with push notifications at a CTR of 3.78%, compared to 3.05% for iOS, with both platforms exceeding all-industry averages, based on Q4 2024 to Q2 2025 data from the Pushwoosh Push Notification Benchmarks 2025 report, published at Pushwoosh.
Fintech apps show push notification CTR of 2.84% on Android and 2.09% on iOS, both surpassing all-industry averages, based on Q4 2024 to Q2 2025 data from the Pushwoosh Push Notification Benchmarks 2025 report, published at Pushwoosh.
78% of users will churn in the first week after installing an app if brands do not have a clear engagement strategy, based on past Airship research cited in the Airship 2023 Push Notification Benchmarks PDF, available at Airship.

Regional or Geographic Statistics

Europe emerged as the biggest regional winner in app marketing spend growth in 2025, with Spain rising 157% in iOS user acquisition spend, Italy jumping 143%, and the UK seeing a 92% increase, driven by China-based eCommerce app budgets, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.
Asia-Pacific accounted for over 32% of global mobile application market revenue share in 2023, maintaining its position as the dominant regional market, based on the Grand View Research Mobile Application Market report, published at Grand View Research.
North America generates an average revenue per user of roughly USD 58, the highest of any global region, based on a July 2025 industry report by SkyQuest Technology.
Japan ranks third globally for mobile user spending with USD 17.9 billion in 2024, supported by approximately 98 million smartphone users spending an average of 4.5 hours per day on applications, based on a July 2025 industry report by SkyQuest Technology.
The United States leads all markets in global generative AI app revenue share, contributing 45% of global in-app purchase revenue for AI apps, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany each at 4%, and Japan and Canada each at 3%, based on SensorTower data cited in a 2025 mobile advertising market analysis by Udonis.
Europe’s mobile application sector is projected to reach USD 69.3 billion by 2025, driven by growing in-app purchases, mobile gaming, and fintech adoption, with the EU Digital Markets Act of 2024 reshaping app store competition, based on a July 2025 industry report by SkyQuest Technology.
iOS remarketing spend grew 71% year over year in 2025, driven by broad geographic expansion across Central Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, where multiple countries posted 100% or more year-over-year growth, based on the AppsFlyer Top 5 Data Trends Report 2025, published at AppsFlyer.

References

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